1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to filtering systems for use in conjunction with deep fat fryers, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a quickly attachable, selfcontained cooking oil filtration and recirculation system which can be used continuously to filter and recycle cooking oil used in a deep fat fryer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A prevalent practice in commercial eating establishments, such as restaurants and cafes, is to prepare certain foods by means of deep fat cooking. In this culinary technique, the foods are immersed in a heated cooking oil. Typically, chicken, potatoes, onions and fish may be cooked in this fashion. In some instances, the food to be cooked is covered with flour or dough before immersion in the cooking oil.
A problem which has been encountered with deep fat cooking is the accumulation of burned grease and food particles in the well of the cooker over extended periods of time, deleteriously affecting the flavor of the foods to be cooked, and requiring periodic cleaning of the well after draining all the cooking oil therefrom. The carbonaceous material resulting from prolonged burning of fats and oils is often difficult to remove, and the cleaning procedure results in undesirable down time on the cooker.
A number of patents have recently been issued on proposals for improving the deep fat cooking process by continuously filering the cooking oil used therein. Most continuous filtration systems provide some form of foraminous or perforated filter element in association with a pump which continuously draws or pumps the cooking oil from the well of the deep fat fryer through the filter elements, and then recycles the clean cooking oil to the well after filtration.
Examples of systems which have recently been patented for the purpose of automatically filtering and recycling the cooking oil to a deep fat cooking apparatus are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,447,685 to Bircher; 3,415,181 to Hart; 3,477,361 to Bradshaw; and 3,483,982 to Nelson. Of these several patented systems, the Nelson system provides several advantages in that the filtering and pumping components of the system are located outside the deep fat fryer, and thus do not interfere with the positioning of food receptacles in the well of the fryer. The Nelson system includes a filter device which is separately supported and spaced from a motor and pumping unit used to draw the cooking oil from the well of the fryer through the filter, and to then recycle it to the well of the fryer. Several conduit connections are provided between the filtering unit and the pump employed in the Nelson system, as well as between this pump and the well of the fryer.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,433 to Cunningham discloses a relatively compact and easily connected dual filter and pumping subassembly which is adapted for connection to the existing drain cock of the drain conduit of a deep fat fryer. The subassembly is ordinarily disposed beneath the countertop upon which the deep fat fryer is supported necessitating the employment of a relatively long conduit from the pump for returning the filtered cooking oil to the deep fat fryer well.